Fortune magazine’s digital staff is now among the many digital newsrooms to look to unionization in the last year as they continue to face professional uncertainty, reports Kali Hays of WWD.
Hays writes, “Staffers are pushing for voluntary recognition with representation from NewsGuild in an effort to ‘safeguard our rights as workers and sustain the magazine’s reputation going forward,’ according to a joint statement from union leaders. But Fortune management has already refused to recognize the bargaining unit.
“‘This is surprising to us, since an overwhelming majority of Fortune’s online editorial staff signed cards in support of unionizing, in addition to support petitions signed by NewsGuild members of both Fortune and Time magazines,’ staffers wrote.
“Fortune still has something of an editorial divide between print and digital staffs and output, but those on the print side are already unionized and have been so going back decades, with a contract negotiated while still a part of Time Inc. Moreover, digital staffers are asking to be recognized under the same union agreement that the rest of the staff is part of, and still management rejected recognition. Jake Meth, a Fortune editor, wrote on Twitter that there are only 27 eligible employees, but they make up 59 percent of the edit staff, pushing for union recognition.
“‘An overwhelming majority of our uncovered staff are in favor of unionizing,’ Meth wrote. ‘But management has refused to meet with organizing employees and is insisting on a costly and unnecessary election.'”
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